GEORGE Shiu Raj is best known as a former government minister, businessman and vocal member of Rakiraki’s community. And in an unusual addition, he is also the Indo-Fijian namesake of Fiji’s first President, the late Vunivalu of Bau, Ratu Sir George Cakobau. It’s an endearment close to the family’s hearts, and a reminder of being honoured in what was once a foreign land to them.
WHEN the Sutlej IV arrived on April 11, 1913, it marked the beginning of George Shiu Raj’s family in Fiji. Like many others, his grandparent’s history was tainted with the harsh system of indentured labour, though they would be fortunate enough to transit into their own enterprise. As Mr Raj puts it, “business was in the blood”.
His paternal grandparents, Jinna and Ganpaj Chaudhary, were from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, India, and were among the 60,000 girmitiya procured from the subcontinent to work the cotton and sugar plantations of Fiji.
They arrived on the same ship but only met in Fiji and later married.
“My grandfather served two years in Rakiraki, near the Penang mill,” Mr Raj shared.
Unbeknown to Jinna and Ganpaj during this brief spell, they would leave footprints in the tiny community, with their names now beared on one of the largest commercial buildings in Rakiraki, 102 years after their initial arrival.
Namuaimada
Following the end of their indenture, Ganpaj founded his own textile business, and he and his wife settled in Naria, where Mr Raj’s father, Shiu Prasad, was born.
“My father had a farm in Naria and Rewasa, and then they moved to Namuaimada, where my four sisters and I were all born.”
His mother, Kala Wati, was from Waila, Nausori and joined her husband’s family in Ra after marriage.
“Our family home is still there in Namuaimada. It’s where my four sisters and I were born and grew up. We also had a special bure there to accommodate Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna when he passed through.
The charming childhood along Viti Levu’s north coast didn’t go without its set of challenges, though.
“My parents struggled while I was growing up because their main focus was on farming. And getting us kids to tertiary level at the time was very hard, but they managed to do that.
“One of my sisters was educated in New Zealand as a private student. I saw how my parents struggled to get us educated. So I said if the Lord would give me a chance to become a minister, I would give out one of the largest scholarships in the country and I did that through the Ministry of Multi Ethnic Affairs, since the native Fijian students had the i-Taukei Affairs Board scholarship.”
A chiefly bestowment
Namuaimada’s scenic patch along the Ra coastline remains a homely base for the family, even in the face of violent attacks that rocked the community last year.
It was also where the late Vunivalu, Ratu Sir George was passing through when he met Mr Raj’s grandfather, Mr Chaudhary, with whom he was acquainted through business circles.
“At that time, Ratu Sir George was the Roko Tui Ra and was very close to my grandfather, through his business ties.
“I was still in my mother’s womb, and Ratu George asked I could be named after him if I were a boy. My grandfather and father were very happy and agreed.”
Following his birth, women from the chiefly island of Bau and other ladies based at Ra’s provincial council in Nanukuloa visited Namuaimada to acknowledge and bestow gifts on their paramount chief’s new namesake.
Mr Raj himself notes the peculiarity of being named after an indigenous paramount chief, but like the rest of his family, considers it a novelty and honour.
Back to UP
In 2003, a sentimental urge to retrace his grandfather’s roots led George to India, where he travelled to Uttar Pradesh.
“I went back to get records from the archives, which is stored according to one’s caste. I managed to get a copy of my grandfather’s immigration pass to Fiji. He was 19 years old when he came and it’s been 102 years since.”
He managed to get in touch with the family of Mr Ganpaj’s older brother.
“He was a young boy when he came and according to my mother, would get emotional when sharing his experiences and thinking of India. They were fooled, told that they would get lots of employment and get lots of things if they came to Fiji.”
Rakiraki
“Rakiraki was a small town and well known for sugarcane farming and cricket was a popular sport at the time in our community,” he noted.
“Soccer actually came later. We were the cricket champions in the district tournaments held. I didn’t play cricket myself but I loved the sport, like many in Rakiraki.”
Growing up, Rakiraki was small, dusty and its main commercial centre in Vaileka didn’t seem to flourish in terms of business. So although his grandfather and father had successfully managed their own businesses from Rewasa to Naria, Mr Raj was determined to see the town develop.
“Whether it’s business or something else, it should be part of your culture to see change in your community first, in your Jerusalem. When I was growing up, I always saw that Rakiraki was always the same.
“So I thought to establish a lot of business after my graduation.
“As business blooded people, we needed to get more funds and more monetary value. My focus while I was growing was to see that my Jerusalem would grow, never mind if I would get low net income.
“I knew that if I looked after the vanua, I would be blessed by God, and that’s what happened in my life. That was a shared passion by family. My parents always told me that when I go into business, to start with my Jerusalem because the Lord sent us to that district.”
Educated at Rakiraki Public High School before a spell in Lautoka, tertiary studies led him to London for an accounting degree.
He adds that Rakiraki’s inception as a township in 2010 was a proud moment for a family that had long settled in the vicinity.
“I felt really proud when Rakiraki was declared a town and I was quite happy. There were a few issues that we discussed on the development before the declaration such as nearby rural areas who didn’t pay rates not becoming part of the town boundary.
“But the town has grown now and we have resorts around. I’m so proud that Rakiraki is one of the best towns in Fiji and being declared a township was overdue for many years. And we’re proud of how we’ve kept our culture and traditions alive and of the relations between the various races here.
“We look after each other, respect our chiefs and celebrate as a community.”
